Hey Vendome, I live up in the San Ramon Valley north of you. Our nifty little Fire District pays on the scale you show, but the FF’s “play games” with their “ sick leave” so as to inflate their OT. So, the guy making $100k is getting at least $150k and some “overtime hogs” are ripping us off to the tune of more than $200k and I know of more than one instance of a guy dragging in $250k! The District Board ( which now has a majority of firefighters who live here but work somewhere else) is basically doing what other “government entities” do creating a work environment that suits the union. They claim that the OT is cheaper than hiring more workers due to benefits and retirement costs, yeah right! Oh, and in the past three years, we have had two successive retirements of our Fire Chief. One left at 50, the other at 51, and both are making more in retirement than they made as chief (one by more that $100k per year. These guys should be in jail!
These guys are conundrums. Doing God’s work on the one hand and ripping us off on the other.
Private business doesn’t operate like this for long. We know the effects of overtime on our people and it can burn them out. Additionally, the risk for workplace injury goes up exponetially in proportion to overtime and duration.
Thing is these guys want the overtime more than they want to go home to their families and are gaming the system to line their pockets, through pension obligations that take into account overtime as part of the equation.
I have often thought I should have gone to become a Police Officer. I was Santa Cruz Sheriff Explorer and after college would have got a job easily.
Hell, then I’d be up for retirement in just another year or two and I too would have put in the hours before retirement(I’m thinking I would have become part of the problem and mindset)
Pretty sure at the age of 50 and three years of OT I’d retire with $250k plus per year and still receive my gold plated Med/Dent/Eye insurance. I’d also have a discount card that allows me to purchase just about anything for 5%-20% off.
Since my livelyhood would be assured by the taxpayer I’d get some business cards and run around to all the parties and tell everyone I’m a business man(I know a few ex-LEO who do this)
With such a grand retirement package I’d damn sure drive a Porsche or at least a fully decked out Suburban and live in a gated community.
I live in gated community and there are at least 5 LEO who live here. One is San Jose, two are CHP Chips(the ride their bikes home everynight and I’ve seen twice this week) I don’t recall where the other works.
The good news is this neighborhood isn’t a great place to mob in a SHTF. The one cop lives behind me and is a marksman in SWAT. With my marksmanship and sharpshooter and the other cops we could police our little territory.
They already have CB radios, GPRMS and MURS, as do I.
My gripe, and I don’t know how to resolve it, is they LEO and firefighters in our area get paid a wage higher than the people they protect. Fine, but there is a point where is obnoxious.
They shouldn’t be paid nearly 4 times what the average person makes and contribute almost nothing to their pension and health benefits.
I’s actually feel better about the whole thing if they had contribute what a private person does but they don’t and that ain’t right.
I also think the OT pension equation is frickin lard and it needs to go.
They can work all the OT they want but for all I care but it shouldn’t be a part of their pension. Besides, OT contributes to workplace injuries and if they leave on disability they stop filing a 1040 because disability payments are tax free.
How many retire with disability and OT is part of the equation? Not many I’m sure but even if they retire due to disability they plan this out and will look to pump up their compensation and then leave with 70-90% of their salary for life, still receive their med/dent/eye and the monies are tax free!!!!
I know a couple of other retired LEO’s who are disabled. One should absolutely get his package as I know his history and he’s lucky he ain’t dead. Nice guy too.
Rant off, Air conditioner on. Gonna be another scorcher and I won’t get away from it today.
Have a great day and maybe one day we’ll meet for lunch.